Did a Client Reject Your Business Proposal? What to Do Now

Rejection. The very word is enough to make you cringe. The idea of working so hard on a proposal, only for the client to say “no”, is an extremely depressing thought. You’ve spent all those hours slaving away for nothing!

Unfortunately, being rejected is one of those things that we all have to learn to deal with. It happens so often, to everyone in sales. But a “no” doesn’t always have to be permanent. Studies show that a whopping 44% of salespeople give up after the first rejection – and yet on average, 80% of potential clients decline a proposal four times before giving it the go-ahead.

So, how exactly do you turn a “no” into a “yes”? And what should you do when it really is a “no”? Our eight-step guide will help you make the best of every rejection.

Rejection. The very word is enough to make you cringe. The idea of working so hard on a proposal, only for the client to say “no”, is an extremely depressing thought. You’ve spent all those hours slaving away for nothing!

Unfortunately, being rejected is one of those things that we all have to learn to deal with. It happens so often, to everyone in sales. But a “no” doesn’t always have to be permanent. Studies show that a whopping 44% of salespeople give up after the first rejection – and yet on average, 80% of potential clients decline a proposal four times before giving it the go-ahead.

So, how exactly do you turn a “no” into a “yes”? And what should you do when it really is a “no”? Our eight-step guide will help you make the best of every rejection.

1) Understand the Different Types of “No”

“No” can have so many different meanings, and it’s not always set in stone. When a client rejects your proposal, don’t immediately give up. Their “no” could mean “no, this doesn’t fit our allocated budget”. Or it could mean “no, this isn’t quite what we had in mind”. It could even mean “no, we need more time to think” or “convince me why this is a good idea”. The point is that most of the time, there will be a solution to whatever problem the client has. It’s just down to you to figure out how to make them happy. Don’t assume it’s a hard “no” until you’ve explored every avenue.

2) Ask the Client for Detailed Feedback

In order to fully understand how to move forward with your proposal, you need to ask the client why they said no. What is it about your proposal that is putting them off? Do they have a problem with your style of work, the speed of delivery, or the cost? Do they need it in a different format? Is there something specific that they don’t like? Try to phrase these questions in a non-confrontational way, and be positive – after all, you want to know what’s wrong so that you can try and fix it. If possible, try to organise a meeting in person to talk this over – face-to-face talk provides the lowest risk of misinterpretation.

3) Take a Moment to ‘Breathe’

The most important thing to do after being rejected is not to rush straight back in. Take a moment to pause, gather yourself, and really think about your potential client’s words before you go any further. If you immediately jump on the defensive when your work is criticised, you’ll put them off from wanting to work with you at all. After all, your goal isn’t to prove that you’re right and they’re wrong. Try to show that you’re taking their comments on board, and carefully consider them before you respond.

4) Challenge Their Reasons For Saying “No”

In order to push the sale, you’ve obviously got to make the client rethink their rejection. So when they tell you the reasons for their “no”, think of ways to challenge what they’ve said. Sometimes, all this requires is for you to clarify and explain certain parts of the proposal, because they may have simply misunderstood something. If you think they’re wrong about something, politely explain your reasoning. Don’t push back too hard, or you may lose them. And if you actually agree that they’re right about something, tell them what you’re planning to do to fix it.

5) Be As Flexible As You Can

Since there are so many reasons your client might have rejected your proposal, you need to be flexible with as many aspects of it as possible. If they’re hesitant to accept because of budgeting issues, try to offer them a discount or a different type of payment structure. Really listen to your client so that you can figure out something that works for them. If there’s a deadline that they’re worried you won’t be able to meet, reassure them that you can juggle your commitments to deliver when they need you to. If there’s something in the actual proposal that they don’t like, assure them that you can change it, or ask them how you can fix it to make it more appealing.

6) Try, Try and Try Again

The key to finalising the sale is to be persistent, without being overbearing. If the client has seemed receptive to your post-rejection meeting, try to follow up with them as soon as possible afterwards. Ask them directly if there’s anything else you can do to convince them that you’re right for the job. This will let them know that you’re keen, which looks good on you. You can even try building trust between you and the client by offering to carry out smaller projects or pieces of work for them while they decide.

7) Learn From Your Mistakes

If you’ve gone through follow-up meetings and had no luck, it may turn out to be a firm “no”. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, the client simply doesn’t want to work with you. This isn’t a reason to get angry or upset, however. This is your opportunity to better yourself – take the comments that your client has made on board, and use them to figure out how to improve your proposals in the future.

8) Beat Your Fear of Rejection

Whatever you do, don’t let being rejected stop you from trying again in the future. It can be very disheartening to lose a sale that you’ve worked so hard on. But sometimes, things just don’t work out. Try to take the attitude of “whatever doesn’t kill me makes me stronger”. Try not to dwell on the rejection too much – learn what you can from it, and then let it go.

With every rejection comes a chance to prove yourself and what you’re capable of. Try to use the word “no” as a jumping off point for improving your proposals in the future, and take a positive attitude at all times. As long as you follow our eight steps, you can’t go wrong!